Multi-omics approaches reveal TNF-mediated inhibition of tissue reparative macrophages is via a gene-selective transcriptional mechanism (ATAC-Seq)

Anti-TNF therapies are a core anti-inflammatory approach for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s Disease. Previously, we and others found that TNF blocks the emergence and function of alternatively-activated or M2 macrophages involved in wound healing and tissue-reparative functions. Conceivably, anti-TNF drugs could mediate their protective effects in part by an altered balanced of macrophage activity. To understand the mechanistic basis of how TNF regulates tissue-reparative macrophages we used RNAseq, scRNAseq, ATACseq, time-resolved phospho-proteomics, gene-specific approaches, metabolic analysis and signaling pathway deconvolution. Our findings reveal that TNF controls tissue-reparative macrophage gene expression in a highly gene-specific way dependent on JNK signaling. We uncover principles of the selectively inhibition by TNF via the type 1 TNF receptor on specific populations of alternative activated macrophages. Chromatin accessibility profiles of wild-type BMDMs stimulated with IL4/IL13 or IL4/IL13 + TNF for 24h from 3 separate mice.